The Phrasal Verb 'Turn On' Explained
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'turn on' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native.
This is a post about the English phrasal verb 'turn on'. I can't believe it has taken me so long to write an article about this highly useful phrasal verb, especially as it is just so common in everyday language!
Anyway, the post is finally here and in it you will learn six different ways to use 'turn on' from common meanings like 'to activate', to less common ones such as 'to depend on'. In addition to this, I will provide you with lots of bonus information and, of course, plenty of example sentences for each application. So, let's make a start and find out what the phrasal verb 'turn on' is all about....
QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'turn on' mean?The phrasal verb 'turn on' has seven different meanings in English:
Keep reading to learn how to use each of these like a native speaker.... |
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one
Turn On - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'turn' and 'on'
Turn On - Meaning 1: To rotate on a specific point
Turn On - Meaning 2: To activate something
Turn On - Meaning 3: To make someone feel sexually aroused
Turn On - Meaning 4: To cause someone to be interested in something
Turn On - Meaning 5: To suddenly attack someone
Turn On - Meaning 6: To show a particular quality
Please don't forget to like or comment if you enjoyed the post. I would really appreciate your feedback! Thank you. James 😊 |
THE BASICS
TURN ON: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 6 |
Simple past form | Turned on |
Past participle | Turned on |
Separable? | Yes |
Before we get into the different uses and applications of the phrasal verb 'turn on', let's first consider the meanings of the individual words 'turn' and 'on'....
Turn - The verb 'to turn' is a very common one in English with several key meanings that are in frequent use. The core idea of the verb 'to turn' is 'change' and when you hear this verb being used, it is usually to convey the idea of something changing and being different as a result. Its main meanings include 'to spin', 'to move from one side to another', 'to change direction' and 'to transform'. It also appears in a number of phrasal verbs. It is is a regular verb with 'turned' forming both its simple past and past participle forms.
The Earth is constantly turning.
Please turn the page when I tell you to start.
I turned my head to see what was happening.
We turned left at the traffic lights.
The snowman quickly turned to water when the sun came up.
John is turning 80 next week.
On - The prepositional particle 'on' is one that you will have come across many times in phrasal verbs before as it is very versatile. When used literally, it adds the idea of moving on to something (when you were not on it previously) (get on or go on). However, it tends to be used in phrasal verbs more by speakers in a figurative way to add different ideas such as continuation and persistence (carry on, keep on), activation (switch on), attachment (stick on), moving forwards / advancement (move on) and dependence or reliance (count on).
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'turn on'....
MEANING 1: To rotate on a specific point
CEFR Language Level | A2 - Elementary |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To rotate on, to pivot on |
Separable? | No |
We are going to start our exploration of the phrasal verb 'turn on' with a meaning that is not as common as some of the others, which is the literal meaning of the two words combined: 'to rotate on a specific point'
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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For this first meaning, we are focussing on things that turn or rotate in a physical or mechanical sense, such as a vinyl record or a wheel. When these items rotate, their centres stay in the same position while their outer parts move around them in a circular motion.
When describing this type of movement, we can simply just say that the thing turns, but if you want to specify the specific central around which it rotates, we need the particle 'on' to express this e.g. 'the wheel turns on a central shaft' or 'the Earth spins on its axis'.
On a grammatical note, this is not strictly a phrasal verb as 'on' is functioning as a preposition here; however, I wanted to include it as you may come across it and wonder why is has been used and I like to be thorough 😃
Example sentences....
The Earth turns on its axis once every 24 hours.
The door turns on its hinges when you open or close it.
The wheels turn on an axle that connects them.
The platform turns on a central pivot, allowing it to face different directions.
The entire mechanism turns on a single point in the middle.
The large wheel turned slowly on its central shaft.
MEANING 2: To activate something
CEFR Language Level | A2 - Elementary |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To switch on, to activate |
Separable? | Yes |
We will now move on to the second meaning of the phrasal verb 'turn on' and this one is much more common than the last one, and is the one that you are most likely to know, which is is 'to activate something'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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In our modern world, many of us are fortunate enough to have a large number of devices, systems and pieces of equipment that make our lives easier and more comfortable. One key feature that most of these things share is that we do not need to use them all the time and can activate and deactivate them as and when we need them. For those times when you need to use one of these devices or systems and you want to activate it, you can use 'turn on' to express this.
This usage is common with electrical devices that have on/off switches, as well as anything that relies on a supply of something and can be started and stopped, like gas, electricity and water. I hear many students saying that they "open the water tap" but this is not standard English and 'turn on' would be the most natural option here.
The reason that we use 'turn on' to describe this particular action is probably evident to some of you. In many cases, especially with older equipment and devices in the past, it was necessary to turn a lever or switch in a specific direction in order to activate something. Of course, on many modern devices, we now have buttons for this instead and the action is pressing rather than turning but we still use 'turn on' to describe the action nevertheless. You should note that the opposite of 'turn on' in this sense is 'turn off' (link here).
Example sentences....
Can you turn on the lights? It's getting dark in here.
I turned the heating on because the house was really cold.
Sue turned on the television to watch the news.
Don't forget to turn the oven on before you start preparing dinner.
My boss turned his laptop on and started checking his emails.
Would you mind turning the radio on? I like to listen to music when I'm working.
The security guard turned on the alarm system before leaving the building.
I turned the air conditioning on as soon as I got into the car.
The technician turned on the machine to check that it was working properly.
In all of the sentences above, 'turn on' is used in a transitive way with a direct object, i.e. there is a person or thing specified that causes the activation. We can also use this in an intransitive way to describe when a machine or device is activated, often automatically or without anyone directly causing it to happen at that moment.
Example sentences....
The lights turned on automatically when I entered the room.
My laptop wouldn't turn on this morning, even though it was fully charged.
The heating turns on automatically when the temperature drops below 18°C.
The television suddenly turned on in the middle of the night.
The security alarm turned on as soon as the door was opened.
My phone finally turned on after I had charged it for half an hour.
MEANING 3: To make someone feel sexually aroused
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To arouse |
Separable? | Yes |
The next application of the phrasal verb 'turn on' is another super common one that can be heard a lot in popular music and culture and means 'to make someone feel sexually aroused'.
I do my best to keep this a family friendly website and therefore I will not go into too much explicit detail on this one but my aim is to explain how phrasal verbs are used by native speakers and this is one that deserves a mention due to just how common it is.
If something turns a person on, it makes them feel sexually aroused or, in other words, it gives them a feeling of sexual excitement. For instance, this may be kissing, touching or something that a person associates with sex. If you think back to the previous meaning, it is similar as it is like someone's sexual feelings are activated by a specific stimulus.
On a grammatical note, this one is separable and I would say that it is frequently used in its separated form with the name of the person (or their pronoun) going between 'turn' and 'on'. It is also common to use this in a passive construction (be turned on by / get turned on by).
Example sentences....
There's something about his smile that really turns her on.
Fay finds confidence attractive, and it really turns her on.
Benjamin admitted that romantic gestures turn him on.
The way her husband looks at her still turns her on after twenty years of marriage.
Some people are turned on by intelligence rather than physical appearance.
Sam finds Nathalie's French accent incredibly attractive, and it really turns him on.
Debbie told him that his new look was a real turn-on.
What turns one person on might not appeal to someone else.
Sometimes one thing that used to turn you on can now turn you off.
BONUS: The noun 'turn-on'
This point in the post is the perfect time to tell you about the noun 'turn-on', which is used to describe something that makes someone feel sexually aroused.
Example sentences....
A good sense of humour is a big turn-on for me.
Everyone has different turn-ons and turn-offs when it comes to attraction.
She admitted that a nice voice was one of her biggest turn-ons.
MEANING 4: To cause someone to be interested in something
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To get someone into |
Separable? | Yes |
I think that the next meaning of the phrasal verb 'turn on' flows logically from the previous one as we are once again talking about people, but this time instead of making someone feel sexually aroused, we are talking about causing someone to be interested in something.
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has told you about a good book or TV series that you had never heard of before and when you tried it for the first time, you found it so enjoyable that you continued reading or watching it? In a situation like this, you could say that someone "turned you on to" the book or TV series.
When someone turns you on to something, they simply introduce you to something or tell you about it, which you then experience yourself, enjoy and become enthusiastic about it (and perhaps then turn other people on to it). It may be something new, or it could be something that you heard of before but had previously had no interest in.
It doesn't have to be a TV show or book; it can be used with authors, websites, exercise, sport, comedians, phrasal verb websites etc... It is really for any activity that a person can enjoy doing or any thing that a person can enjoy using or consuming.
For this application, the word order is fixed, with the person who becomes interested in something going between 'turn' and 'on', followed by the word 'to' and the thing that interests them.
Example sentences....
My older brother turned me on to rock music when I was a teenager.
It was my English teacher who first turned me on to reading novels.
A friend of mine turned me on to this fantastic Italian restaurant.
Her grandfather turned her on to gardening when she was a little girl.
My colleague turned me on to a brilliant podcast about history.
Travelling around Japan turned him on to Japanese culture and traditions.
My parents turned me on to classical music from a very young age.
A documentary about climate change turned her on to environmental activism.
My best friend turned me on to yoga a few years ago, and I've been doing it ever since.
MEANING 5: To suddenly attack someone
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To attack |
Separable? | No |
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I often put the most negative meaning near to, or at, the end. This post is no exception as this fifth application of the phrasal verb 'turn on' is 'to suddenly attack someone'.
We tend to use this particular application of 'turn on' to describe when a person or animal starts treating someone in a negative way, typically after previously treating them in a positive or neutral way. This negative treatment can range from shouting aggressively at someone or criticising someone to physically attacking them.
The general idea behind this usage is that someone's behaviour towards another person suddenly or unexpectedly changes and becomes more negative. It can often carry an extra sense of shock or betrayal, especially if there was previously a good relationship between the people in question.
Grammatically speaking, this usage is not separable and the object must always come after the word 'on'. If you put the object between 'turn' and 'on', you will end up with a very different meaning that could potentially be highly embarrassing (see meaning 3 above) 😳
Example sentences....
The dog suddenly turned on its owner and bit him on the arm.
The crowd turned on the referee after he awarded a controversial penalty.
The normally friendly cat suddenly turned on the vet and scratched her.
The politician's supporters turned on him when they discovered he had lied to them.
Nobody expected the quiet student to turn on his classmates so aggressively.
The players turned on their manager after he publicly criticised their performance.
The wild animal suddenly turned on the man who had been feeding it.
She had always supported her colleague, so she was shocked when he suddenly turned on her during the meeting.
The audience turned on the comedian when he made an offensive joke.
Another common expression that is worth mentioning here is 'to turn a gun on someone'. As you can probably work out, this is used to describe when a shooter turns his or her gun to take aim at a specific person. It is also possible to say 'to turn a gun on oneself' to describe a person who shoots themselves, often after shooting others.
Example sentences....
The criminal turned his gun on the shopkeeper and demanded money.
The police officer was shocked when his colleague turned his gun on him.
The attacker initially threatened one person before turning his gun on himself.
MEANING 6: To show a particular quality
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | |
Separable? | Yes |
I really like this next application of the phrasal verb 'turn on', which is 'to show a particular feeling or quality'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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When we use 'turn on' in this way, it is commonly with the nouns 'charm' or 'charisma' and describes when a person deliberately changes the way that they act in order to impress people or make themselves seem more attractive or appealing.
A typical scenario in which you may come across this usage is when someone meets their partner's parents for the first time. Of course, most people want to make a good impression and so they purposefully become more charming or charismatic when they meet them in order to do this, or in other words 'they turn on the charm' or 'turn on the charisma' (or in some cases both!!)
The reason that I like this application so much is that it is one of those usages that plays with language. As I mentioned earlier in the post, perhaps the most well-known and common usage of 'turn on' is 'to activate something by pressing a switch' and this usage takes this same idea and applies it to an imaginary 'charm' or 'charisma' button in someone's brain.
One other noun that is often used with this application, particularly in British English, is 'style'. We use 'turn on the style' quite a lot in reference to sport to describe when an athlete
or player does something in an impressive or entertaining way.
Example sentences....
My brother really knows how to turn on the charm when he wants something.
The hotel staff turned on the charm to make their guests feel welcome.
She turned on the style during her performance and impressed everyone in the audience.
The football team turned on the style in the second half and scored three goals.
The salesman turned on the charm in an attempt to persuade us to buy the car.
The singer turned on the charisma as soon as she stepped onto the stage.
The restaurant turned on the style for its grand opening.
Jimmy can turn on the charm whenever he needs to make a good impression.
The company turned on the charm to impress its potential investors.
MEANING 7: To depend on something
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Rare |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To depend on, to hinge on |
Separable? | No |
We have now arrived at the seventh and final meaning of the phrasal verb 'turn on', which is quite rare in everyday language and means 'to depend on something'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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As I mentioned, this application is not so common in colloquial language and in all honesty, it is not one that I hear very much at all in everyday conversations. It is, however, used in formal English and specific linguistic environments, such as in business, political and legal contexts. In everyday language, the synonym 'hinge on' is more common.
When we use 'turn on', the idea that we are expressing is that one particular thing is crucial to the outcome of something (rather than general dependence). For example, a legal case may turn on the testimony of the one eyewitness who saw a crime take place, or the future of a business may turn on the success of its latest product. In the legal example, what the witness says will have a direct impact on the outcome of the legal case, and with the business example, if the latest product does not sell well, the business will not survive.
Grammatically, the particle 'on' is functioning here as a preposition and this usage is inseparable. It is commonly followed by a noun, noun phrase or a clause beginning with 'whether', 'how' or 'what.
Example sentences....
The success of the project turns on whether we can secure enough funding.
The outcome of the election could turn on just a few hundred votes.
The final decision turns on the results of the investigation.
Whether we go ahead with the wedding outdoors turns on the weather.
The entire case turned on one crucial piece of evidence.
The company's future may turn on its ability to attract new investors.
The outcome of the negotiations turns on whether both sides are willing to compromise.
The success of the new product will turn on how customers respond to it.
Whether she gets the job turns on how well she performs in the final interview.
Weirdly, since writing this post, I have actually come across 'turn on' being used in this way on a fairly informal social media post! Perhaps, I have become more aware of this usage since writing the post, or perhaps it was a spooky coincidence!
We have now reached the end of this post and I hope that you have found it useful and that it has helped you to understand how to use the phrasal verb 'turn on' more confidently and naturally.
Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'turn on' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media.
Do you want to improve your phrasal verb skills?Now that you have read the article, I hope you've learned something new. However, reading is only the first step to mastering phrasal verbs: the key is practice and repetition. That's why I've created a series of PDF workbooks with clear explanations, natural example sentences, exercises, speaking questions and answer keys. This will help you understand and remember common English phrasal verbs and use them confidently in real-life situations. Browse the workbooks here and start improving your phrasal verbs skills today.... |
Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊
THE END
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